University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
8-12,1-6ACC
NC State
14-6,5-2ACC
Panthers Fall To NC State Despite Dominant Rebounding Effort
1/24/2026 3:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – The Pitt men's basketball team grabbed a season-high 26 offensive rebounds and held a commanding 52-31 advantage on the glass, but a decisive 12-0 NC State run midway through the second half proved to be the difference as the Panthers fell to the Wolfpack, 81-72, Saturday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center.
Freshman forward Roman Siulepa recorded his second consecutive double-double with 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end. Junior forward Cameron Corhen also posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive glass, marking his sixth double-double of the season. Pitt converted its rebounding advantage into 24 second-chance points compared to just eight for NC State.
Despite the overwhelming work on the boards, Pitt (8-12, 1-6 ACC) was unable to overcome a poor shooting performance at the free-throw line. The Panthers connected on just 11-of-25 attempts (44 percent) from the stripe while NC State (14-6, 5-2 ACC) knocked down 22-of-27 (81.5 percent).
Senior guard Damarco Minor contributed 13 points, six rebounds and three assists, while senior guard Barry Dunning Jr. added 12 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Brandin Cummings chipped in nine points, including a pair of three-pointers late in the game as Pitt attempted to rally.
The Panthers controlled the early action despite a cold shooting start, going 0-for-9 from three-point range before Siulepa connected from beyond the arc to push the lead to 9-4. Pitt's relentless offensive rebounding fueled the early advantage as the Panthers built a nine-point lead at 13-4.
NC State responded with a 9-0 run to tie the game and eventually took its first lead on a Darrion Williams three-point play with 5:53 remaining in the half. The teams traded blows from there, with Dunning's tip-in and transition three-pointer keeping Pitt within striking distance. A buzzer-beating layup by Quadir Copeland sent NC State into the break with a 34-33 advantage despite Pitt holding a 29-15 rebounding edge at the half.
Siulepa opened the second half with a three-pointer to put Pitt back in front, 36-34. Minor then drilled back-to-back triples to push the lead to 42-36, sparking the Panthers' best stretch of the afternoon. Pitt extended the advantage to seven at 52-45 following another Minor three-pointer.
The Wolfpack clawed back into the contest, pulling within one at 52-51 before a Corhen free throw and a Dunning corner three pushed the lead back to five at 56-51. After a Siulepa driving layup made it 58-54, NC State took over.
The Wolfpack ripped off 12 unanswered points, turning a four-point deficit into a 66-58 lead with just over five minutes remaining. Paul McNeil Jr. knocked down a pair of three-pointers during the run as Pitt went scoreless for more than three minutes.
Cummings answered with consecutive threes to trim the deficit to 69-64, and an offensive foul on Copeland gave Pitt the ball back with a chance to get closer. However, the Panthers were unable to mount a sustained rally as NC State closed out the game at the free-throw line.
McNeil finished with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from deep, while Ven-Allen Lubin added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Wolfpack. Copeland led NC State with 20 points and nine assists but was limited down the stretch after picking up his fifth foul.
Pitt shot 36.8 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from three-point range (11-of-29). The Panthers committed 14 turnovers that NC State converted into 22 points.
Pitt's 26 offensive rebounds were the most by any ACC team in a game this season and tied for fourth most in the NCAA this year. It is tied for the seventh-most in a game in Pitt history and the most since the Panthers also had 26 in a game against Wake Forest on Feb. 16, 2016.
Pitt is set to return to action Tuesday night when the Panthers host Wake Forest at 6 p.m.
